Comparison of Fine-Needle Aspiration and Ultrasound-Guided Core Biopsy of Palpable Prostatic Lesions*

Abstract

Digitally guided transrectal fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and sonographically guided transrectal core biopsy were performed in 55 patients with a palpably abnormal prostate. Prostate cancer was diagnosed in 25 (45%) of the cases by core biopsy, FNA biopsy, or both. The initial core biopsy showed benign disease in 12% (3/25) of the patients with prostate cancer compared with 8% (2/25) using fine-needle biopsy. Both FNA and ultrasound-guided biopsy are highly sensitive procedures; however, both are associated with false-negative results. In the present study, if either FNA or ultrasound-guided biopsy were performed alone then two or three cases of prostate cancer, respectively, would have been missed, whereas none of these cases would have been missed using both biopsy methods together. Perhaps combining FNA and ultrasound-guided core biopsy in selected patients with small abnormalities will provide greater sensitivity and patient convenience without significant additional morbidity.